coastal
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coastal
Explanation
Coastal things are near the ocean. If you like spending time at the beach, you might take a trip to a sunny, coastal vacation spot. Be sure to pack your swimsuit! You might read phrases like "coastal waters" or "coastal erosion" in an environmental science textbook. The coast is the land that borders an ocean or sea, and the adjective coastal describes things that affect the coast or are located there. Before it meant "edge of the land," coast referred to a body part—specifically, the rib or "flank."
Vocabulary lists containing coastal
The United States
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South America - Middle School
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Canada - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Located in the desirable Breakwater Shores neighborhood, this split-level residence overlooking the pond offers coastal living with peaceful water views and glimpses of the ocean beyond,” the description continues.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
A year ago, Garcia Venegas was filming his brother’s arrest during a raid on their coastal Alabama construction site when he was tackled by agents, who ignored his pleas that he was a citizen.
From Salon • May 24, 2026
It is the second fatal shark attack in Australian coastal waters in as many weeks, after a 38-year-old was killed while spearfishing near Perth, in Western Australia, last Saturday.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
At the coastal town of Elsinore, the kingdom forced ships to stop under the watchful eye of cannons and pay a tax based on cargo value.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
About half a mile to the east, a long strip of land ran parallel to the coastal cliffs.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
